Two items of news coinciding reflect the tenor of the times. From Sandwell news that The Public is under threat of closure and from Sheffield, news that Point Blank are to broker more free temporary space in the Midlands.

Despite it’s painful birth we have a strong affection for The Public, we had a great time installing Sandwell Steps there in 2011 and have enjoyed regular visits since, including a great evening watching Bobby Baker. The building is home to many local arts organizations including Black Country Touring and the Learnplay Foundation who have started a lobbying initiative to persuade the local council to retain The Public. You may choose to add your weight behind this and sign their petition.

Point Blank are a resourceful theatre company based in Sheffield who have the happy skill of persuading landlords of empty properties that it would be cost-effective to let artists use them for free. They are the company who brokered the space on Birmingham’s New Street last year which was run by Little Earthquake and next week they are holding an open event Transforming Empty Space: Birmingham Meet on 23rd May at 12:30 in which they will share news of new space coming available for use. So you may choose to go to that.

The important thing to note is that temporary free access to a shop unit given to artists by a landlord as a way of dodging business rates whilst a paying tenant is found does not replace The Public. In order for the arts to thrive they needs proper support not crumbs that fall from a table. I’ll end there before a re-rehearse my rant.

Our friend/colleague Andrew Fox, who is an excellent photographer specialising in amazing fashion shots, is looking to collaborate with a Theatre Company on a Portrait Project. It sounds like fun so read on… (more…)

That’s it, the show’s open. It has been a genteel day, I walked to work the long way round in order to see something of the city and pay my respects to the WACA. The show had about 200 people through, our sense is that it will build and build, week days will be much more busy with people on their way in and out of work. The show looks good, there are some good stats out and good combinations of stats. Responses have been good and we’ve had some thoughtful public suggestions for statistics which the team will follow up. As for me, I’m off for home at 02:30 tomorrow morning. It’s about time, I sense everyone is losing patience with how amusing I find the fact that here filp-flops are called thongs (I’m sure Gareth my replacement will be more grown up). It is a spectacular farewell, Les Commandos Percu let off a vast amount of fireworks beside the river.

The speeches kept insisting this was a pre-festival gig, if so then what a way NOT to start a festival. Maceo Parker and his band (let’s here it for the band) were tight, funky and very entertaining. The gig was outdoors in a brilliantly contrived festival park, there were a couple of free drinks and some delicious free food for those with the requisite vouchers – we were very happy. (more…)

It happens every few years, but it never gets less urgent. Birmingham’s Moseley Road Baths are under threat of permanent closure again. Stan’s Cafe has a particular affection for these baths as they were the site of one of our earliest productions. Canute the King was made twenty years ago with a ridiculous degree of optimistic innocence on an absurdly low budget. The staff of the pool were fantastically friendly, helpful and patient.

Central government is cutting allocations to city councils giving them massive budget pressures, but to see the end of the Moseley Road Baths would be a terrible shame, it’s a beautiful building historic building and a great community asset. There is a petition here for those who want to save the baths.

I’m having to acknowledge and fight a growing obsession with how ‘big’ films manage to get itself reported as news and thus gain free advertising. Bond films are the obvious example “they’ve announced the title”, “they’ve started shooting”, “they’ve chosen the musician to record the theme song”, “it’s the premiere” all news: apparently.

Things dipped to such a spectacular new low today that Today on BBC Radio 4 momentarily appeared to have recruited Alan Partridge. The latest film to get itself onto the news is about the hunt for Osma Bin Landen. They’d fallen for this marketing trick and lined up an interview with the man who plays Bin Laden in the film, they ask him about how he approached the role, he speaks earnestly about that for a bit before it turns out his only appearance in the film is as a corpse in a body bag and STILL that doesn’t deter the interviewer who continues to ask about his method allowing the actor to fulfil his contractual obligation to the film’s producers by waxing lyrical about how great the film is and how amazingly good the editing is not least for cutting his entire contribution beyond the body bag moment. FOR HEAVENS SAKE!

Honestly it’s worth listening to (about 2hrs 20min into Tuesday’s programme). Don’t bother going to see the film come and see The Cardinals instead. For about 30 seconds Graeme pretends to be dead (no body bag) if that’s the kind if thing that draws you in.

The story of the Catalan theatre that drew attention to a VAT rise on theatre tickets by replacing them with carrots, which incur a lower tax is across the media like a rash this morning. It’s a savvy way of drawing attention to the plight of theatre in the midst of Spanish recession, we must hope that the ‘quirky story’ gains some political traction, for the story behind the stunt is a serious one – taxes are up and ticket sales are down. (more…)

Mesmerised by the women’s Table Tennis semi-finals at the Olympics, I’m seriously thinking about getting a table for the venue now!